At The Oregonian, we have a longtime letter-writer we call the Rain Lady. Whenever one of us writes anything even vaguely negative about winter weather -- gray, cloudy, rainy, cold -- we get a letter telling us how very stupid we are (actually, she uses way worse language than that). Her anger flies off the page and hits you in the face. In 20 years, I've gotten my share of her furious rants.

The OregonianNot sure if my fig is dead or alive, but I'll buy a new one if it died.

There's never a signature or a return address. We don't really know the sex of the writer, but our intuition says it's a female. No sexism intended.

I gotta say: "She's crazy." I believe winter is necessary. I look forward to the cold days as they begin, but I tire of them quickly.

The OregonianYou've heard it before: I can't go without my Acacia.

This is all a way of saying how relieved I am that spring approaches. Along with the most hopeful of seasons come the annual garden shows (Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, Feb. 18-22); Portland Home & Garden Show, Feb. 19-22; Yard, Garden & Patio Show in Portland, Feb. 27-March 1). More than most years, I'm eagerly looking forward to them. And what I'm most excited about is shopping. Like many of you, I'm looking to replace plants that withered, melted or burned away this winter. Usually, I wouldn't be so anxious about my annual frenzy of acquisition. The economic situation has changed that.

To slow down my buying mania, I've learned to budget a certain amount of spending money. I carry cash only. Unfortunately, last year I learned a way around that strategy by borrowing money from my friend Lisa. I'm telling her not to give in to me this year no matter how much I beg. Holding down my costs is a necessity, not just a responsibility.

It's going to be hard, though. The compulsion to buy is especially intense this year ... so many things to restore to the garden. There are plants in my garden that are obviously dead, others I suspect are and still more I haven't the heart to inspect. I've made decisions about some of the plants I will definitely buy, and a few I'm pretty sure I won't, at least this year.

The OregonianI have to give up my hybrid Echeverias this year.

Not replacing (pretty short list so far, but it will grow as I discover more dead plants):

Meyer lemon

Key lime

Echeveria (expensive for annuals, which is how they end up for me; instead I'll add to my cactus collection because I can get them in 2-inch pots for cheap at the Seattle show and the YGP Show.)

The OregonianI must get another Tetrapanax.

Plants I will replace:

Eucalyptus neglecta (will get a Eucalyptus debeuzevillei, which Paul Bonine of Xera Plants says is "ironclad hardy and has the BEST bark of the hardy ones."

Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' (can't live without it)

Tetrapanax 'Steroidal Giant' (love, love, love the form of this tropical-looking beauty)

Rhododendron macabeanum (large leaves are like nothing else, and mine was just getting big enough to make a statement.)

Baby tears (cheap to replace and invaluable in my shady garden)

'Wilma' golden cypress (bent over, but I may be able to save it by staking)